Coastal and Marine Areas Development Initiative

Exciting weekend ahead for us 🎊 So if you have been following our stories, you'd know that we have SDG clubs in 3 public schools in some of the communities we serve. We only have 30 minutes or less each week to do our activities. We are seeing our excited the students are and the short term impact of our programme. So we decided it's the midterm, why not do something in the community for the students. Let's bring the career conversations to a bigger space. We are delighted to invite you to "Inspire & Explore: Career Pathways in STEM, Humanities, and Arts," an event dedicated to empowering and guiding young people particularly senior secondary students as they navigate their career journeys. Join us for an inspiring day filled with insights, mentorship, and networking! Date: 2 November 2024 Location: Falcorp Mangrove Park, Ijala Ikenren Time: 10 AM - 3 PM Event Highlights: Panel Discussion with Experts Networking Lunch Interactive Activities This event is designed to support young people in making informed career choices by connecting them with professionals and fostering meaningful conversations. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to shape your future! For more information, contact us at +234 806 696 6787. #CMADI #CareerPathways #YouthEmpowerment #STEM #Humanities #Arts #InspireAndExplore #DeltaState

October isn't over yet as Coastal and Marine Areas Development Initiative partners with @Global links, PIND Foundation and Namibia bringing you Namibia Trade and Investment Summit happening in #Warri #DeltaState. Sector of Focus includes; 📌 Agriculture 📌 Tourism 📌 Mining 📌 Arts and Crafts 📌 Transport and logistics infrastructure 📌 Fisheries and more Of course there'll be B2B discussions Presentations to show opportunities for investments and more... #CMADI #Tradeandinvestment

At Coastal and Marine Areas Development Initiative SDGs club, as we teach about #sdgs, we try to also teach on career pathways. While we see more aspirations to become #Doctors and #Nurses, we are exploring other career pathways and allow their minds to explore other possibilities but it's good we started here. While growing up I've always wanted to go into the medical profession (well I only knew about medicine, law and engineering 😂) although not "#Medicine and #Surgery" though I wanted something more on #Human Anatomy and Physiology because I drew more on muscles and skeletons but didn't have a guide. One time I was told by a pharmacist that the career I wanted wasn't lucrative in Nigeria that I may never get a job that derailed me and my focus broke... Well we'd continue this some other time. Fast forward to now I'm in the #HSE (Health Safety and Environment) profession I'm not totally out of scope. 😊 We want these #children to see beyond these already known professions and we need your #career stories to get them going. if you're far we would love to hear your career story. If you're near we would love to have you in one of our club sessions. Use your story to inspire a child today! Kindly comment below this post to reach me and share your career story.

What did you do over the weekend? We had so much fun as a team. You might have seen a video from our Director Weyinmi Erikowa-Orighoye about taking lessons from a fisherwoman. You might have seen Chidinma EkeEke's post about children with colourful paintings of the mangroves. Our book club session was super fun. Here's a summary of what we did: A recap of last week’s theme, "Hand Wash Hygiene and Sustainable Food Systems." This weekend, the focus was on Echoes from the Coastline: Telling Our Story Through Audio and Video, inspired by the International Day for Audiovisual Heritage. To introduce the children to the concept of Audiovisual Heritage, we discussed how recordings like birthday videos or school events and movies can preserve memories and pass down cultural stories. We also referenced the Nigerian film, "Half of a Yellow Sun" as an example of audiovisual media that documents significant aspects of Nigeria's history and culture. We invited a local fisherwoman to share her knowledge with the children. She provided a hands-on techniques from fishing. She demonstrated her cane-woven traps, explaining how they are set in the river and left for one or two days to catch fish, crabs, and crayfish. She spoke about the scarcity of fish caused by oil spills, which affects the ecosystem and reduces her weekly catch. The children were engaged and asking about the cane material and the environmental impacts of oil spills. The fisherwoman explained that the cane is locally sourced, though she did not specify the plant, and emphasised the negative effects of pollution on marine life. After the interview, the children watched a documentary that delved deeper into coastal practices and environmental sustainability. The documentary emphasised: 1. Cultural Practices: Fishing techniques and the planting of mangroves." 2. Environmental Importance of Mangroves: How mangroves absorb carbon dioxide and support the health of coastal ecosystems. To encourage the children to reflect on what they learned, they were asked to create illustrations inspired by the interview and documentary. This activity allowed them to express their understanding creatively and reinforced the theme of preserving cultural heritage. To conclude, the children made a short video discussing the importance of mangroves, providing them with hands-on experience in storytelling and documentation. This activity aimed to instill an appreciation for environmental conservation and the role of audiovisual heritage.

Children are good in expressing their imagination when given an opportunity to do so which in the course working with them has also shown diverse perception to a lot of things. This week Coastal and Marine Areas Development Initiative book club session, the children were given the task to bring their imagination to live exploring the theme Echoes from the coastline: Telling ur story through audio and video

Echoes from the Coastline: This was the theme of our book club session today Coastal and Marine Areas Development Initiative It was facilitated by Chidinma Eke Arueyingho Everister and ILUWA SONNEL K. 🙌🏿 My role was to stretch their imagination on how to deliver the session drawing inspiration from the International Day for Audiovisual Heritage (If you don't know, I do a lot of hybrid work). We interviewed a fisherwoman from the coastline. It is part of capturing our stories. I choose to tell more stories about where I come from. One way I describe myself is, "I am a coastal girl navigating life through stories, social impact, travelling and conversations." Today, we took the classroom to the creeks of the mangroves. There's just something special about the video that I cannot explain. Lynda Osadebe, DVM MSPH PHD this is the fisherwoman, Esther Nwani talked about on the International Day of Rural Women. P.S. I did not edit the video. Sometimes, I love the rawness of what we capture. I hope you enjoy it 💛

Breast Cancer Awareness Outreach and Hypertension Screening at Ubeji Market Date: October 26, 2024 Location: Ubeji Market Entrance Our team gathered at the entrance of Ubeji Market, where we were warmly welcomed by the market women, who showed eagerness to learn about breast cancer prevention and health practices. Mrs. Anino Okuna Uremure led an engaging session on breast cancer awareness, addressing various questions posed by the participants. A notable question was regarding changes in the nipple area such as colour change and discharge. Mrs. Anino clarified that such changes typically occur during pregnancy, but if any discharge or colour change is observed when not breastfeeding, it is advisable to consult a healthcare provider promptly. Mrs. Anino also demonstrated self-examination techniques, emphasizing that: Women who experience menstrual periods should check their breasts on the last day of their cycle. Women who do not menstruate should pick a specific date each month, such as their birthdate, to perform a breast self-exam regularly. The demonstration was interactive and well-received. The market women actively participated and committed to sharing the knowledge with their family members, neighbours, church members, and community at large. In addition to breast cancer awareness, Mr Yotan Ayonuwe conducted blood pressure (BP) checks for 25 individuals. Some individuals shared that they often neglected to replenish their BP medications once they ran out. Mr Yotan advised them on the importance of continuous medication to maintain their health and encouraged them to restock their medications promptly. One participant's BP reading was 185/137 mmHg. We provided her with medication after repeated checks. We advised her to take ample rest, and stressed the importance of adhering to her prescribed BP regimen consistently. The women of Ubeji Market were highly receptive, asking questions and showing a strong desire to learn. We encouraged participants to share the information with their communities, which they appeared willing to do. A common challenge we are finding in our communties with regarding to people living with hypertension is medication compliance. Many individuals indicated they would stop their medication once their initial supply ran out, not understanding the importance of regular intake. This outreach was a rewarding experience, marked by enthusiasm from the Ubeji Market community. The engagement level was notably higher than in previous sessions at Warri Main Market, with participants showing genuine interest in breast cancer education and hypertension management. This event highlighted the importance of community health outreach programs where information can be disseminated widely and deeply within engaged groups. We will pushing, see you all at the next #pinkoctober outreach 😎

Egbokodo Secondary School Club Session. The focus was Mental Health: Handling Failure in Career and Academics. We asked students to write their fears on sticky notes, revealing concerns about exams, grades, and future uncertainty. Arueyingho Everister explained that failure is an inevitable part of life and it doesn't define us. Students shared factors contributing to academic failure including distraction, fear, negative peer influence, and lack of focus. Their honest responses opened the door to a meaningful conversation Mrs Everister shared her personal story of failing a particular course in university. Mrs Anino Okuna Uremure also inspired the students with her story of writing WAEC twice because of chemistry. We shared strategies to overcome failure: 1. Acknowledge and accept failure 2. Identify lessons learned 3. Develop a growth mindset 4. Seek support and guidance 5. Focus on progress, not perfection A teacher, Mrs. Tsola Agboghoroma gave the students an assignment to write five ways to improve their mental health and cope with academic failure. We had a total of 49 students at the club 🎊 We have noticed transitioning into university or any higher institution is a common fear among the students in our communities. The themes from their fears are similar across 3 different public schools. This will help shape our future activities in our SDG clubs.

We are excited to be part of the Namibia-Delta Trade & Investment Summit happening in Warri, Delta State, on Wednesday, 30th October 2024. This summit is set to bring together key business stakeholders, industry leaders, investors, and government officials from the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria, and Namibia, fostering discussions on dynamic sectors with great potential for collaboration. Theme:Unlocking New Trade and Investment Opportunities Venue: PIND Foundation Economic Development Centre, Egbokodo Itsekiri, Warri, Delta State Time: 10:00 AM This is a pivotal moment for fostering reciprocal growth between these regions, and CMADI is committed to supporting discussions that promote sustainable development and economic progress in coastal communities. Join us as we explore new pathways for growth and collaboration.

School Club session at Ubej Grammar School and Atuwatse II College. Our SDG school club at Ubeji focused on, "Designing Your Ideal Career in Social Sciences and Art." Students were asked to list out social science and art courses they know of. Mrs Arueyingho Everister asked the students to imagine themselves as a successful professional in either a social science or art career. She asked them, "What does your dream career look like?" We explored the career opportunities in social sciences and art such as sociology, economics, political science, criminology, law, visual arts, theater arts, literature and so on. We shared that there's a possibility one might have a career path that's a combination of social sciences and art. It was the first time, the students were hearing about Criminology. Mrs Everister emphasised that success is not streamlined to a particular course but there are numerous opportunities out there. You don't have to be a medical doctor or nurse to work in a hospital. We have accountants, record officers working in healthcare. We encouraged them to not compare themselves with others. We noticed a student's talent of sketching with pencils. We encouraged him to explore his interests in art, practice consistently and try put new techniques. Some questions asked by the students were: 1. If I want to change from science class to art class, what art course can I study? 2. What course will I study to open a company? 3. I like writing but I don't like any art subject, what can I do? At Atuwatse II College it was a different career conversation facilitated by Anino Okuna Uremure and Mr Yotan Ayonuwe. The primary theme for the day was exploring various career options in STEM, Social Sciences and Art. The discussion began by engaging the students in naming different careers they were familiar with. Some of the careers mentioned included psychologist, athletics, petroleum engineering, zoologist, and ecologist. However, a significant number of students expressed a preference for becoming doctors or nurses. In response, we took the opportunity to explain that while careers in medicine are commendable, there are other opportunities to explore. We shared examples like agriculture, microbiology, marine biology, zoology, botany, careers in tech, graphic and web design. The students were informed about the value of STEM-related careers and the broad scope they offer for future opportunities. To aid the students in visualising potential career paths, we used SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) cards. These cards helped to broaden and align their career interests with global goals and encouraged them to think beyond traditional options. We had a total of 77 students participate in our club sessions from both schools. We had supported for a teacher at Atuwatse II College, Mrs Adanioritsewo Ojobon.